Population of Bulgaria: number, ethnic composition and demographic dynamics

One of the most popular destinations for summer holidays for our compatriots has been Bulgaria for many years. This country is located in the South-Eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. We suggest today to find out what the population of Bulgaria is like.

general information

The population of Bulgaria is about 7.3 million people. At the same time, about one and a half million people live in the capital of the country - Sofia. Also the largest cities of Bulgaria are Plovdiv (almost half a million inhabitants), Varna (650 thousand inhabitants), Burgas (300 thousand inhabitants) and Rousse (170 thousand inhabitants).

Population in Bulgaria: demographic indicators and areas of residence

According to statistics, 48 percent of the population of this country are men and 52 percent are women. On urban residents it is 71%. The rural population is only 29%.

Turning to history, it can be noted that the number of urban residents in Bulgaria until the middle of the last century grew very slowly. Thus, at the end of the 19th century, the urban population was no more than 19%. However, the situation subsequently underwent significant changes.

Dynamics of population growth

At the beginning of the last century, the birth rate in this country was one of the highest in the whole of Europe. However, after the Second World War, the population of Bulgaria declined. Also, this event could not but affect the level of fertility. By the 60s of the last century, the demographic situation had returned to normal, and later this indicator began to increase.

However, since the 90s of the 20th century, the birth rate again began to decline. In this regard, as well as due to migration, the population of Bulgaria has decreased by almost a million people. Today, the country is experiencing a demographic crisis. And the natural growth of the population is negative. This suggests that in Bulgaria, the population dies more than is born.

As for the average life expectancy in this country, for men it is 72 years, and for women - 82 years.

Ethnic composition of the population of Bulgaria

Almost 85% of the inhabitants of this country are Bulgarians. This figure also includes a small number of Macedonians, considered ethnic Bulgarians. In addition to representatives of indigenous nationalities, this country is home to a significant number of Turks (about 10% of the total population) and Roma (4.7%). In addition, the population of Bulgaria includes Armenians, Russians, Greeks, Romanians, Ukrainians, Jews and Karakachans. However, representatives of these ethnic groups make up no more than 0.5% of the total number of inhabitants of the country.

85% of the population considers the native language to be Bulgarian, 9.6% - Turkish, and 4.1% - Roma. Orthodoxy is the main religion in Bulgaria. So, about 83% of the inhabitants of the state profess it. Muslims consider themselves to be 12.2%, Catholics - 0.6%, Protestants - 0.5%.

Occupation of the population of Bulgaria

The number of able-bodied population of this European country is about five million people. The number of pensioners is estimated at 1.7 million, and children - at 1.2 million.

Most of the population of the Bulgarian Republic is engaged in services (more than 60%). The number of employees in the industrial area (machine building, metallurgy, construction, food industry) is 30%. In agriculture, only 10% of the country's population is employed.

The Bulgarian Diaspora Abroad

To date, about 600,000 ethnic Bulgarians live outside the Bulgarian Republic. A significant part of them is concentrated in the south-western regions of Ukraine, as well as in the south of Moldova. The smaller Bulgarian diasporas are also found in Romania and Hungary. Also about 700 Bulgarian communities are in the United States of America.